Two long-term unemployed people will be employed as coaches by Bradford City as part of a Government programme announced yesterday to create 2,000 sports jobs.

Two hundred coaching jobs are being created through the Football League Trust, meaning all 72 league clubs will have the chance to give youngsters the opportunity to work for them.

The Bantams will employ two people aged 18-24, who have been out of work for more than a year, to work as coaches with their Football in the Community team.

The Government announced the creation of a further 7,500 jobs under its Future Jobs Fund programme, which included 2,000 sports jobs for young people.

Ian Ormondroyd, community manager at Bradford City, said: “It is a great idea. We used to have an old system for youth trainees, and we had the New Deal as well, but since the last two or three years we have not had a proper system for the youngsters coming through to get qualified.

“But we will be looking at getting them qualified, and getting them on to Football Association qualified courses.

“They will be football coaching and multi-sports coaching in schools and after school clubs – any of the football and multi-sports provision that we do they will be involved in.”

The new sports sector jobs will be created across England by the National Skills Academy for Sports, offering young people the opportunity to gain skills in coaching, leadership and sports development. They will also encourage wider community involvement in health and fitness including gymnastics, swimming and boxing.

Further jobs have also been announced in horticulture, renewable energy, construction and the NHS.

Work and Pensions Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “We’re determined to do everything we can to help young people get their first job despite the recession. Never again must we see a generation lost to work.

“That’s why it’s so important that sports clubs across the country have now signed up to do their bit to give thousands of young people a kick start in their careers.

“So far our innovative Future Jobs Fund has provided the money to create almost 55,000 jobs for young people and those in the hardest hit communities.”

Mr Ormondroyd said further details of the two vacancies, and how to apply, will appear on the Bradford City website in the future.